Fabulous
by Oasis Blackmore
Summary: Everything’s got to be perfect for Sharpay. Oneshot. Zekepay. Future fic. Inspired by the song "Fabulous." Disregards HSM 3.


**A/N: This fic is neither Christmas- nor winter-themed, but I do offer it in the spirit of celebration. Enjoy, and have a great holiday.**

Fabulous

From the moment he saw her, Zeke Baylor knew he could make Sharpay Evans happy.

She wanted everything just-so; he was the biggest perfectionist he knew.

She needed someone to dote on her as if she were royalty; he was more than willing to fill the role of adoring servant.

She was obsessed with Troy, who would never give her a chance; he was in love with her, even though she wanted him to "evaporate."

Admittedly, there were obstacles in their relationship, namely the unfortunate love quadrangle he and she occupied, but Zeke was patient and passive by nature. He'd spent enough time burning crème brûlées to know that perfection didn't come easy, and it rarely came on the first try.

So, even after she'd spurned his advances, briefly strung him along for delicious baked goods, and teased him with the trace of lipstick she'd pressed onto a page of his junior yearbook, Zeke still waited, wishing she would come around and pretending his friends' snide remarks about the icy lioness didn't sting.

Too many "Compliments of the chef"s, a tell-all kiss in Lava Springs's kitchen, and three years later, Zeke was proud to say that persistence had paid off. With Sharpay nestled in his arms in the oversized bed she had insisted they buy for their apartment, Zeke reflected on his years of watching from afar, of reveling in the smallest glance she deigned to direct at him, of imagining he had the right to run his fingers through her silky, platinum locks and touch her undoubtedly sweet mouth with his own.

Smiling into the dim light of early morning, he let his good fortune sink in, for the billionth time. He still had trouble accepting that this fairytale-like ending was his to enjoy, that, as Sharpay's husband-to-be, he had all those precious rights and more. The mere thought made him giddy, and he instinctively pulled his fiancée closer, moving to press a kiss to her lips.

---

Sharpay had a distinct opinion about everything, especially relationships. Ryan used to joke that that was why she was going to end up alone, with her millions of dollars in Broadway earnings, living on some tropical island she had purchased for less than it was worth, with about two hundred boy-toys on-hand to satisfy her needs. She had joked back that when that time came and Ryan, too, was all by himself, she wouldn't share with him.

Since the day her father had first uttered the words, "Have her back by ten," she had been a traditional kind of dater. She believed in dating people within one's own league, in looking good next to your partner, in skin tone compatibility. She'd always wanted the storybook romance: boy meets girl; boy falls in love with girl; boy saves girl from impending doom. She'd thought primo boy Troy Bolton and primo girl Sharpay Evans could have that kind of relationship, but she'd always been far too self-righteous to play a very good damsel in distress.

In the end, it came down to finding a replacement, preferably one close to Troy, so as to make clear to him just what he was missing; it didn't hurt that Troy's friends were of high popularity, and it didn't seem she could go wrong with any of them.

As such, her first consideration was the loud and energetic Chad Danforth, Troy's closest friend, but, hesitant about dating anyone with hair that might outdo hers in the realm of unique stylization, she opted to consult her fashion-conscious brother before committing to the conquest.

"Ry?" she had asked innocently after they had finished practicing one of their routines.

"Hmm?" Ryan replied from his yoga position on the floor.

"What do you think of Chad Danforth?" She raised her eyebrows meaningfully.

Ryan's posture failed him, and he landed on his mat with a thump. "You mean, for your replacement?" he asked, inexplicably flustered.

"Well, yeah. Would we make a cute couple?"

Ryan coughed out a laugh. "You can't just _randomly _pick some guy."

"Well, I don't know how else you think I'm gonna find someone," Sharpay huffed.

"Then, you can't pick Chad," Ryan pressed after a short hesitation.

"Why not? I know he's not exactly my type, and his hair's a little--" She wrinkled her nose instead of offering an adjective. "But I'm sure if he got to know me, he'd fa--"

"_Not_. _Him_," Ryan reiterated forcefully, cheeks flushing as he spoke.

A small smirk of realization finding its way to her mouth, Sharpay leaned forward inquisitively. "Because?"

Ryan broke eye contact, growing impossibly redder by the second. "Because I--Well, _you know_. He's too--I--Come on, Shar. Just--Isn't there somebody else?"

Satisfied with his spluttered response, Sharpay nodded acceptingly. "I'll find somebody. Chad's all yours."

So, Danforth was out of the question, since Ryan hadn't yet failed to recruit anyone he liked to his team. Now, the issue was deciding which of Troy's _other_ friends she would chase after, the most likeable options being Zeke Baylor and Jason Cross.

Jason, in spite of his apparent ignorance of how much his peers hated a brownnoser, was fairly attractive, if a little on the pasty side, and he did look pretty good on the basketball court. However, as much as Sharpay had no qualms about stealing a boy she actually liked from another girl, snatching one she wasn't all that fond of was one step over the line. Plus, Kelsi had been gradually acquiring control over the drama club as a result of her last composition's success, and Sharpay didn't want to give her any reason to usurp the position of dictator.

Zeke . . . The only things that stood out about him in Sharpay's mind were his amazing baking skills, his ongoing position as assistant chef at Lava Springs, and the enormous torch he still harbored for her, even after she'd told him she only liked him for his cookies. At first, the latter fact was a major deterrent, especially since she didn't plan on this get-back-at-Troy relationship being long-term, but the more she thought about Zeke (and the numerous delicacies he had had specially delivered to her table in the Lava Springs dining parlor), the more she thought his indulgence could be just what the doctor ordered.

"Fulton, get me the assistant chef," she commanded the day her seduction was to begin.

Thomas Fulton, the lovably skittish oaf, tensed immediately. "Is there something wrong with the food, Miss Evans?"

"If there is, it's between me and the assistant chef," Sharpay rejoined, not willing to let anyone in on her scheme.

Fulton stood there for another couple seconds, as if actually debating following her orders, but one snap of her manicured fingers, and he was zipping through the kitchen's double doors and, within the next minute, ushering an anxious-looking Zeke to Sharpay's table.

Sharpay looked at Fulton and flicked her wrist in the direction of the exit. "Take the afternoon off, Fulton. I'll make sure Daddy clears it later."

Fulton didn't delay this time, and Sharpay soon had Zeke all to herself. "Sit," she ordered, pleased to see that Zeke was every bit as obedient as anticipated. "Listen, I know I haven't been very nice to you in the past--"

"Oh, no. You've been really great, Sharpay," Zeke insisted, oblivious to Sharpay's shock at his interruption. "I don't hold anything against you, and I still consider you my friend." Sharpay's visage was frozen with one eyebrow raised and lips slightly agape. "And I know sometimes I come on too strong, but I think you're the most beautiful, smart, amazing girl in our whole school, so I really can't help it."

Sharpay blinked, and her expression went cold as she suspiciously asked, "Really?"

"Yeah! You're everything I've ever wanted in a woman!"

Sharpay's eyebrows rose at his genuine tone. "So, even after I used you for cookies and hurt your friends . . ."

"Like I said, I can be too aggressive sometimes. So, I'm sorry."

"_You're_ sorry?"

"For making you uncomfortable and for not helping you see that Troy isn't the guy for you." Zeke said this like it was obvious and smiled reassuringly.

Sharpay had this tingling feeling in the back of her nose, and she grimaced, hoping it would pass. "_Anyway_." She put emphasis on the word to indicate she wanted to move past Zeke's apology. "I was wondering if you'd give me another chance, but I think you've--"

"Another chance!" Zeke reached out and grabbed Sharpay's hand, which had been resting idly next to her plate. "Sharpay, you won't regret this."

At the time, Sharpay hadn't been so sure, but her expectations were blown away by all that happened in the two months of dating leading up to their very first kiss. Honestly, Sharpay had never thought Lava Springs' kitchen was the most romantic of places, but being that it was the location of her epiphany about her love for the zealous cook, she would never again look at it the same way.

Zeke had been never-endingly patient with her from the start, and while he always accommodated her wishes and made it clear that she was number one priority, he challenged her to think about the feelings of others instead of just her own.

It was with that ideal in mind that she had let _him_ pick the embroidered comforter for the huge bed she had insisted they buy for their apartment. Presently, she was nestled in the warmth of said covering, dreaming of all things wonderful in her practically perfect life. Her brain was just brushing on the subject of her adoring fiancé when her slumber was disrupted by the scratch of stubble against her mouth.

---

Sharpay's eyes shot open as soon as Zeke had closed the gap between them, and her palm moved to spread across his chest at the exact moment her brows furrowed and lips curved into a frown.

"_Shave_ before you kiss me," she commanded with a little shove, but her features softened under his loving stare. "You know I have sensitive skin," she reminded, pouting.

In response, Zeke drew Sharpay into his arms, careful to avoid scraping her with his prickly jaw. "I can't help it. You're the light to my moth." He breathed the metaphor into her vanilla-scented hair and pressed a smooch to the crown of her head. It was this kind of little compliment that thrilled her into tenderness.

His hands were worn from the sanitation routine and heat-related accidents that came with regular hours in the kitchen, but Zeke knew that even the sourest attitude could not keep Sharpay from enjoying his fingers grazing along her spine or the squeeze of his brawny arms around her torso.

Snuggled together like this, Sharpay was just beginning to get comfortable when Zeke sprang from his spot and into the bathroom. The buzzing of a razor resulted in Sharpay's smile as she reached her arms above her head and stretched away all traces of sleep.

Zeke was bounding back into the room in no time, crash-landing on the bed like a big puppy and smothering Sharpay with gentle pecks, his mug smooth and mint-scented. Sharpay stopped his sporadic advances by framing his jaw with her hands, thumbs caressing sleek, dark skin. Muddy brown eyes met and mingled with those of clear aqua, speaking volumes beyond anything either individual had ever dared to say aloud. Sharpay's heart fluttered in appreciation of Zeke's consideration, and she airily uttered the word "fabulous" before pulling him in for a proper kiss.

**A/N: It seems like that flowed okay, though the little excerpt from the past was rather unnecessary to the general story idea, except to give you readers a sense of why Sharpay would ever actually give adorable Zeke the time of day. Review if you like.**


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